JPH01313764A - Automatic chemical analysis device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide simple constitution by providing bar code labels which indicate position information to each of the housing parts of respective sample vessels and providing detecting means of reading the sample ID on the sample vessel surfaces and the position information on the housing vessel surface. CONSTITUTION:Rack ID is read from the bar code labels 8 on the surface of a sample rack 5 provided with the bar code labels 8 indicating the sample ID and the bar code labels 20 indicating the position information corresponding to the respective housing parts 5a when the respective sample vessels housed in the respective housing parts 5a of the sample rack 5 passes right before an ID reader 13. The positions of the housing parts 5a are also read from the bar code labels 20 corresponding to the housing parts 5 and further, the sample ID is read from the bar code labels 6 of the sample vessels 4 housed in the housing parts 5a. The need for two kinds of detecting means is eliminated in this way and the simpler constitution of transporting mechanisms is possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an automatic chemical analyzer using a sample container provided with a barcode label indicating a sample ID.

(Prior art) For example, serum collected from a human body is used as a sample, a desired reagent is reacted with it, and the concentration of a specific component in the reaction solution is measured, for example, by a colorimetric method. Automatic chemical analyzers designed to perform analysis are known. Fig. 4 shows an example of the configuration of such an analyzer.The analyzer is roughly divided into a sampler section 1 that holds the sample to be analyzed and supplies it to the subsequent stage, and a sampler section 1 that holds the sample to be analyzed and supplies it to the subsequent stage. Sample dilution section 2 dilutes to
and a reaction section 3 that reacts the sample dispensed from the sample dilution section 2 with a desired reagent and measures the m degree of a specific component in the reaction solution.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the sampler section 1, a plurality of sample containers 4, for example five, filled with samples to be analyzed are set in a sample rack 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the sample container 4 is a vacuum blood collection tube equipped with a barcode label 6 indicating the sample ID, and is stored in the storage section 5a of the sample rack 5 as shown in FIG. It will be done. An opening 7 is provided in a part of the storage section 5a of the sample rack 5, and a barcode label 8 indicating [) of the sample rack 5 is provided at the end.

A conveyance path 9 is provided at the end of the sampler section 1, and the sample rack 5 is first intermittently fed through this conveyance path 9. A sample I whose sample ID is read from the barcode label 6 of the sample container 4 is placed halfway around the transport path 9.
A D reader 10 and a rack ID reader 11 for reading the rack ID from the barcode label 8 of the sample rack 5 are provided. Each time the sample rack 5 moves intermittently, sample IDs are read one by one from the barcode labels 6 of the sample containers 4 stored therein. ID read from each of these ID readers 10 and 11
The information is sent to the calculation control section 12. The arithmetic control unit 12 is composed of a dedicated microprocessor, and creates and stores a map related to samples based on ID information. As a result, the sample that needs to be retested after the analysis of all samples is located in which storage section 5a of which sample rack 5.
It is now possible to easily recognize location information, such as whether the device is stored in the computer, and to quickly perform necessary processing.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) In the conventional analyzer, two types of ID readers, a sample 10 league reader and a rack 10 reader, must be prepared in order to obtain the ID information necessary to create a number map. Therefore, there is a problem that the configuration of the device becomes complicated. Furthermore, a mechanism for intermittently feeding the sample rack is required to read the sample ID, which further complicates the apparatus.

The present invention has been made in response to the above-mentioned problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic chemical analyzer in which a sample map can be easily created without a complicated configuration.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage container in which a barcode label indicating position information is provided for each storage section in which each sample container is to be stored; Sample ID on sample container surface
and a detection means for reading positional information on the surface of the storage container.

(Function) By providing a barcode label on the surface of the storage container that indicates position information for each storage section, when moving the storage container, the sample IO on the surface of the sample container and the position information on the surface of the storage container can be detected at the same time. can be read by means.

This eliminates the need for intermittent feeding of sample racks, making it possible to simplify the analyzer.

<Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of the automatic chemical analyzer of the present invention, in which 1 is a sampler section, 2 is a sample dilution section, and 3 is a reaction section. The sampler section 1 includes a hopper unit 1a, a feeder unit 1b, a reversing feeder unit 1C, and a stacker unit 1d. Each unit has a belt conveyor, etc., and is configured to be able to transport sample racks as described later. . Sample containers 4 are filled with samples to be analyzed in advance, and a sample rack 5 containing, for example, five sample containers 4 is set in advance in the hopper unit 1a. As shown in FIG. 3, a barcode label 8 indicating the sample ID is attached to the end of the number rack 5.
barcode labels 20 (20a, 2
0b, -) are provided. Further, a barcode label 6 indicating a sample ID is provided on the sample container 4 stored in each storage section 5a.

The sample racks 5 set in the hopper unit 1a are successively moved along the X direction by a drive mechanism (not shown) and sent to the feeder unit 1b. The sample rack 5 is continuously fed by the feeder unit 1b with its moving direction changed in the Y direction. Feeder unit 1b
An ID reader 13 is provided at a midway position around the . This ID reader 13 is constituted by, for example, an optical reader. This ID reader 13 reads the rack ID from the barcode label on the surface of the sample rack 5 that passes the previous position, and also reads the position information of each storage section 5a from the barcode label 20 provided corresponding to each storage section 5a. , roughly reads the sample ID from the barcode label 6 of the sample container 4 stored in each storage section 5a. [) Each piece of information read by the reader 13 is sent to the arithmetic control unit 12, and the arithmetic control unit 12 creates and stores a sample map based on this information. In this case, especially the barcode label 20 corresponding to each storage section 5a.
The same sample rack 5 according to the position information read from
Even if the sample container 4 is on the top, the difference in its position can be easily recognized. My barcode label 2
For reading from 0, the sample rack 5 is not moved intermittently,
This can be done while continuously feeding.

The sample rack 5 whose information has been read by the ID reader 13 moves further, and the sample dilution arm 14 aspirates the desired sample from the sample container 4 and dispenses it into the dilution container 2a of the sample dilution section 2. The dilution container 2a is moved in the direction of the arrow in a constant cycle by a belt conveyor or the like. The moving direction of the sample rack 5 further moved after dispensing is reversed by the rack changer 21, and then sent again by the reversing feeder unit 1C and set in the stacker unit 1d.

The diluted sample is transferred from the dilution tube 2a of the sample dilution unit 2 to, for example, a sample dispensing arm 15a.

15b to each reaction line 3a of the reaction section 3.

3b is dispensed into the reaction vessel 22. - As an example, two reaction lines 3a and 3b are provided. FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of one reaction line 3a. For example, a reaction vessel 22 immersed in an elliptical constant temperature bath 23 is moved in the direction of the arrow in a constant cycle, and a reagent is dispensed in a reagent dispensing section 16. is applied to react with the sample, and this reaction solution is stirred in the stirring section 17. Subsequently, this reaction liquid is subjected to chemical analysis of desired items by measuring the concentration of a specific component in the reaction liquid by a colorimetric method in the photometric units 18a, 18b, and 18c. After the analysis has been completed, the reaction vessel 22 is cleaned in the cleaning section 19.

After drying, the sample is dispensed again and the same process is repeated.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

Barcode label indicating sample ID as shown in FIG. 38. Each storage section 5a of the sample rack 5 is provided with a barcode label 20 indicating positional information corresponding to each storage section 5a.
When each sample container 4 stored in The position of each storage section 5a is read from the corresponding barcode label 20, and the sample ID is roughly read from the barcode label 6 of the sample container 4 stored in each storage section 5a. The read information is sent to the arithmetic control section 12, and the arithmetic control section 12 performs arithmetic processing to create a sample map.

According to this embodiment, one type of ID reader is provided by reading the position information corresponding to each storage section 5a provided in advance in the sample rack 5 together with the sample IO and rack ID using the ID reader 13. The difference in the position of the sample containers 4 on the sample rack 5 can be recognized just by looking at the sample rack 5.

Moreover, in connection with this, intermittent feeding of the sample rack 5 during reading is no longer necessary, and continuous feeding can be performed.

Therefore, the conveyance mechanism can be simplified.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, by providing the sample rack with position information corresponding to each storage section, it is possible to recognize differences in the positions of sample containers using one type of detection means. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the need for two types of detection means and to easily configure the transport mechanism.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the automatic chemical analyzer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the reaction section of the device of this example, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of an automatic chemical analyzer, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a conventional example, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are a conventional sample rack and a sample container. FIG. 1... Sampler part, 4... Sample container, 5...
... Sample rack, 5a... Storage section, 6... Barcode label of sample container, 8... Barcode label of sample rack, 12... Arithmetic control unit, 13.
・・ID reader, 20... Barcode label of storage section. Agent Patent Attorney Rule: Takeshi Kondo Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an automatic chemical analyzer in which a plurality of sample containers provided with barcode labels indicating sample IDs are stored in a common storage container, and the storage container is moved to sequentially read the sample IDs, each sample container is stored in a storage container. An automatic chemical analyzer comprising a storage container provided with a barcode label indicating positional information for each part, and a detection means for reading a sample ID on the surface of the sample container and positional information on the surface of the storage container.